What Is The Right Age to Get The HPV Vaccine?

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Researchers have already discovered that getting Gardasil injections is perfectly safe. And now they've concluded that getting the HPV vaccine before the age of 20 is even more effective.

Scientists in Sweden performed a study where they took note of genital warts incidences of girls and women ages 10 to 44 in relation to the HPV vaccine. They found that vaccinating girls before age 20 was more effective in preventing genital warts than administering the shot to women after 20.

"The best time for a girl (and a boy!) to get a vaccine is around age 12 or 13. First of all, the immunogenic response is better at a young age. More important, the best time to give the vaccine is before exposure. By age 20, the majority of young adults are sexually active and may have already been exposed to HPV," says Lauren Streicher, MD, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University medical school and Wet lubricant spokesperson.

As a reminder, if you're getting the Gardasil injections, you have to get them by age 26. So chat about the shot with your doctor ASAP. And if you're too "old" for the vaccine, you can still help the general population by spreading the word.